The National Oceanic and Atmostpheric Administration under now former President Joseph Biden has designated the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a 582,570 square-mile area in the Pacific Ocean, as America’s 18th national marine sanctuary.
Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary in Hawai’i will be the largest sanctuary in the National Marine Sanctuary System, and is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world.
Papahānaumokuākea holds deep cultural importance for Kānaka ʻŌiwi (native Hawaiians), who view it as a sacred place where all life begins, and a place where ancestral spirits return after death. The sanctuary will encompass an expansive area of coral reefs, seamounts, banks and shoals that are home to a wide variety of invertebrates, fish, birds, marine mammals and other wildlife — many of which are found only in the Hawaiian Islands.
The area also contains the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, the Battle of Midway National Memorial, Kure Atoll Wildlife Sanctuary and the Hawai‘i State NWHI Marine Refuge.
The area has a long history of consideration for national marine sanctuary designation, dating back more than two decades. While it was already a monument, adding the sanctuary designation will provide additional ways to manage and protect the area’s nationally significant biological, cultural and historical resources. The sanctuary designation is part of the administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, which supports locally-led, collaborative conservation efforts across the country.
“National marine sanctuary designation will bring a stronger framework for marine conservation and protection to the waters of Papahānaumokuākea,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “The Sanctuary will also facilitate scientific research, resource monitoring and coordinated efforts to ensure the long-term health of this natural, cultural and historically significant area.”
NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries will co-manage the sanctuary with the State of Hawaiʻi and in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, consistent with the existing management of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
Sanctuary designation will take effect after 45 days of continuous session of the U.S. Congress, following publication of the final rule, during which time the Governor of Hawaiʻi may review the terms of designation where the sanctuary overlaps with state waters. The sanctuary designation is anticipated to take effect March 2025.
“The designation of Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary in Hawaiʻi will enhance protection for this special place and support enhanced opportunities for education and research,” said Governor of Hawaiʻi, Josh Green, M.D. “In moving forward with the designation, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries carefully considered and reinforced a visionary co-management structure that includes the State of Hawaiʻi, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The sanctuary will complement the existing marine national monument and allow for the development of a new sail plan that charts an inspiring course forward for the people of Hawaiʻi and throughout the Pacific.”
